Transport Ministry unveils prioritised waterway projects in 10 years
The Ministry of Transport has released plans to overhaul waterway transport links across the country by 2030, to attract business and investment into transport infrastructure.
Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The speaking at the event in Hanoi (Photo: baogiaothong.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Transport has released plans tooverhaul waterway transport links across the country by 2030, to attractbusiness and investment into transport infrastructure.
Accordingto the Prime Minister-approved master plan on inland waterway infrastructurefor the period 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050, there are 55 main waterwaytransport routes along 140 rivers and canals, with a total length of about7,300 km.
Of them, the north has 18 main routes on 49 rivers and canals(about 3,028 km), the central region has 11 main routes on 28 rivers and canals(1,229 km) and the south has 26 main routes on 63 rivers and canals (3,043 km).
The master plan also maps out the development of 54 complexes ofcargo ports and 39 complexes of passenger ports across the country, with atotal capacity of 361 million tonnes and 53.4 million passengers.
Speaking at the event in Hanoi on November 10, Minister Nguyen VanThe said the ministry will develop an incentive mechanism for large enterprisesoperating in the waterway transport sector to effectively exploit the existingpotential.
He added that the planning of waterway, road and railway has been approved bythe Prime Minister. The plans are an important part of comprehensive transportdevelopment.
The process of developing the plan was an opportunity to evaluate and reviewthe development potential in these fields, especially inland waterways.
The minister directed the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration and associatedunits to learn from the experiences of waterway development in the southernprovinces and apply these learnings to the northern region.
The plans aim to better connect waterway systems, roads and seaports,especially for the North-South coastal transport corridor and the four northerntransport corridors, according to the minister.
“The North-South coastal transport corridor is an important cargo transportcorridor of the country,” he said.
“In the near future, the ministry will submit a North-Southhigh-speed railway investment project to transport passengers, whileNorth-South cargo transportation will be based on the existing railway routeand the North-South coastal transport route."
The minister asked the local authorities on the Quang Ninh - Kien Giang coastalshipping route to continue investing in this transport corridor, by creatingfavourable conditions for enterprises./.
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Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The speaking at the event in Hanoi (Photo: baogiaothong.vn) 
